‘The severity of this can’t be understated.’ Librarians say it’s dangerous for themselves and patrons to keep Chicago libraries open

Library page Tenille Curtis, left, helps patrons at the circulation desk of the West Pullman branch of Chicago Public Library in Chicago on March 19, 2020. West Pullman is one of the branches remaining open. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

All around them, bars and restaurants are closing and more and more people are working from home. But librarians are still showing up at Chicago’s public libraries — whether they want to or not.

The union that represents them has called on the city to close all libraries during the coronavirus outbreak, but the city has decided to leave nearly two dozen open “to ensure Chicagoans in dire need are still able to rely on libraries for basic services.”

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Starting this weekend, 61 branches will be closed. But the Harold Washington Library Center and 19 local and regional branches will stay open at reduced hours to “provide for those who have no other place to go for basic access to the internet or other resources,” said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Alison Arwady, adding she was confident that library workers “can provide these services in a way that is safe and sanitary.”

But librarians contacted by the Tribune said they worry about the safety of themselves and patrons, noting that some branches have been crowded and that it has been impossible to maintain safe distances.

“People trust us," said one librarian, who wished to remain anonymous out of concern for her job. “And if we are open, we are telling them that we are still trustworthy, that they should feel safe in our spaces, and I don’t think there is any CPL (Chicago Public Library) staff who feel we have been able to make our spaces safe for the public now.

“It feels like a betrayal and a lie,” she added. “We can’t stand in for all of the social services that have been cut and not replaced in past years. We are librarians, we are not trained social workers.”

Some full-time employees at the closed branches will be rotated to a library that’s staying open.

“We’re actually going to be circulating more around the city, which is to me an even bigger concern,” said another librarian, also asking that her name not be used. “Not only because we’re traveling to different branches, but a lot of our employees travel via public transit. So they’re putting themselves at risk double, or more, than what they would be by just going to their regular job every day.”

According to this librarian, the staff was told that printing and checking out books will no longer be allowed starting next week, but patrons will still be able to use the computers.

“In the branch that I am in, the (cleaning employee) comes around once an hour and wipes off the keyboards and the tables,” the librarian said. “But there is no way that this person would be able to clean off all the surfaces. Is every doorknob getting cleaned? Is every counter getting cleaned?

“The severity of this can’t be understated," the librarian continued. "In my own branch there have been more people than usual, and I know a lot of people are reporting that. And some of the busier branches are very busy. We did take away half the seating, but even then people are only sitting about 3 feet apart. There’s still two people to every table, and sometimes all of those chairs are being used.

“There’s really not the social distancing that is necessary at this point, and I’m not sure how they are going to enforce that by just having more security guards walking around,” the librarian said.

In a statement Wednesday, the Chicago Public Library said it will work with the city’s health department to ensure hygiene measures are followed.

“Chicago libraries serve as social safety nets for our communities — where our young people become lifelong learners and technology centers connect our residents to the world,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in the statement. “Although some libraries will close to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we know residents and neighborhoods will continue to need access to the resources they provide.”

Her statement said “extra custodial services” will be provided and “all employees will be equipped with the supplies they need to practice good hygiene.”

Teresa Groat, a part-time associate at the Thomas Hughes Children’s Library in downtown’s Harold Washington Library Center, said she understands the mayor’s commitment, but believes this situation exposes a much larger problem in the city.

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Luan Pablo Aldana, left, and his son, Pablo Aldana, leave on Thursday, March 19, 2020, after visiting the Thurgood Marshall Branch, a Chicago Public Library branch in the South Side's Gresham neighborhood, which the city plans to keep open. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

“There are people who will not be served if we close, there will be people left without the resources they so need,” Groat acknowledged. “And I think this kind of brings up a situation that’s in the city — that maybe we are serving too many purposes, maybe there should be other alternatives for our homeless population. ... I really commend my co-workers for soldiering through this. We’re a pretty committed group and were pretty committed to our public.”

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The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, representing 900 Chicago library employees, has condemned the city’s decision to keep some libraries open.

“The heart and soul of our libraries are the staff who welcome, assist and uplift patrons of every age and background every day," the union said in a statement. “CPL will not be able to fulfill its mission if those employees are fearful and feeling abandoned by those who should be concerned with their well-being.”

Starting on Monday, March 23, the 20 libraries staying open will operate Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.